登陆注册
14830000000006

第6章

Andrea shot a swift look at Marianna, who was watching him. And he noted the beautiful Italian head, the exquisite proportion and rich coloring that revealed one of those organizations in which every human power is harmoniously balanced, he sounded the gulf that divided this couple, brought together by fate. Well content with the promise he inferred from this dissimilarity between the husband and wife, he made no attempt to control a liking which ought to have raised a barrier between the fair Marianna and himself. He was already conscious of feeling a sort of respectful pity for this man, whose only joy she was, as he understood the dignified and serene acceptance of ill fortune that was expressed in Gambara's mild and melancholy gaze.

After expecting to see one of the grotesque figures so often set before us by German novelists and writers of /libretti/, he beheld a simple, unpretentious man, whose manners and demeanor were in nothing strange and did not lack dignity. Without the faintest trace of luxury, his dress was more decent than might have been expected from his extreme poverty, and his linen bore witness to the tender care which watched over every detail of his existence. Andrea looked at Marianna with moistened eyes; and she did not color, but half smiled, in a way that betrayed, perhaps, some pride at this speechless homage.

The Count, too thoroughly fascinated to miss the smallest indication of complaisance, fancied that she must love him, since she understood him so well.

From this moment he set himself to conquer the husband rather than the wife, turning all his batteries against the poor Gambara, who quite guilelessly went on eating Signor Giardini's /bocconi/, without thinking of their flavor.

The Count opened the conversation on some trivial subject, but at the first words he perceived that this brain, supposed to be infatuated on one point, was remarkably clear on all others, and saw that it would be far more important to enter into this very clever man's ideas than to flatter his conceits.

The rest of the company, a hungry crew whose brain only responded to the sight of a more or less good meal, showed much animosity to the luckless Gambara, and waited only till the end of the first course, to give free vent to their satire. A refugee, whose frequent leer betrayed ambitious schemes on Marianna, and who fancied he could establish himself in her good graces by trying to make her husband ridiculous, opened fire to show the newcomer how the land lay at the table-d'hote.

"It is a very long time since we have heard anything about the opera on 'Mahomet'!" cried he, with a smile at Marianna. "Can it be that Paolo Gambara, wholly given up to domestic cares, absorbed by the charms of the chimney-corner, is neglecting his superhuman genius, leaving his talents to get cold and his imagination to go flat?"Gambara knew all the company; he dwelt in a sphere so far above them all that he no longer cared to repel an attack. He made no reply.

"It is not given to everybody," said the journalist, "to have an intellect that can understand Monsieur Gambara's musical efforts, and that, no doubt, is why our divine maestro hesitates to come before the worthy Parisian public.""And yet," said the ballad-monger, who had not opened his mouth but to swallow everything that came within his reach, "I know some men of talent who think highly of the judgments of Parisian critics. I myself have a pretty reputation as a musician," he went on, with an air of diffidence. "I owe it solely to my little songs in /vaudevilles/, and the success of my dance music in drawing-rooms; but I propose ere long to bring out a mass composed for the anniversary of Beethoven's death, and I expect to be better appreciated in Paris than anywhere else. You will perhaps do me the honor of hearing it?" he said, turning to Andrea.

"Thank you," said the Count. "But I do not conceive that I am gifted with the organs needful for the appreciation of French music. If you were dead, monsieur, and Beethoven had composed the mass, I would not have failed to attend the performance."This retort put an end to the tactics of those who wanted to set Gambara off on his high horse to amuse the new guest. Andrea was already conscious of an unwillingness to expose so noble and pathetic a mania as a spectacle for so much vulgar shrewdness. It was with no base reservation that he kept up a desultory conversation, in the course of which Signor Giardini's nose not infrequently interposed between two remarks. Whenever Gambara uttered some elegant repartee or some paradoxical aphorism, the cook put his head forward, to glance with pity at the musician and with meaning at the Count, muttering in his ear, "/E matto/!"Then came a moment when the /chef/ interrupted the flow of his judicial observations to devote himself to the second course, which he considered highly important. During his absence, which was brief, Gambara leaned across to address Andrea.

"Our worthy host," said he, in an undertone, "threatens to regale us to-day with a dish of his own concocting, which I recommend you to avoid, though his wife has had an eye on him. The good man has a mania for innovations. He ruined himself by experiments, the last of which compelled him to fly from Rome without a passport--a circumstance he does not talk about. After purchasing the good-will of a popular restaurant he was trusted to prepare a banquet given by a lately made Cardinal, whose household was not yet complete. Giardini fancied he had an opportunity for distinguishing himself--and he succeeded! for that same evening he was accused of trying to poison the whole conclave, and was obliged to leave Rome and Italy without waiting to pack up. This disaster was the last straw. Now," and Gambara put his finger to his forehead and shook his head.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 万界破天武神

    万界破天武神

    万界浩淼,强者如云。宇宙遗宝,珍惜无比,得之,可得宇宙气运。万界争锋,视我为无物。我迎着困难,一步步登天,破万界之天!
  • 凌天无双

    凌天无双

    一个光怪陆离的世界在他的面前揭开神秘的面纱
  • 葬天戒

    葬天戒

    一枚戒指,本是一方独爱盗墓的仙帝物品。一名凡人,落魄倒斗的菜鸟。无意得到一枚戒指,机缘巧合下带着戒指穿越到异界重生,开启异世界传奇盗墓之旅武王?武圣?武神?你们统统不不行,看我奇门遁甲破万法,咒锁魂,阵压身,你们家财万贯,实力通天,我有盗得上古传承,兵器,功法,丹药,我应有尽有看我以盗墓,荣登世界之巅
  • 妃我猖狂,权倾天下

    妃我猖狂,权倾天下

    她本不过一个保护地球的吸血鬼猎人,一朝穿越,却成了血魔始祖的血脉恋人。为了灭绝吸血鬼,她想召集全天下的血魔,在他登基之时焚烧全城,通过改变过去,以拯救未来;始祖知情,却只是苦笑着喃喃自语:“果然还是这样。”她是他三世的祸水,在刀刃相见之时,他倒在血泊中,诅咒她永生不死。她是他注定的克星,可到头来才发现,自己才是那罪魁祸首……【小剧场】轩辕启天挑着眉,神颜的面庞浮起一抹让人猜不透的笑意,语气里透着邪魅的威胁:“听说你杀了皇后和太子?”范梦唯没有抬眼看他,漫不经心地说了句:“不小心。”男人起身,无奈地摇了摇头,有点撒娇地问:“你杀他们的时候,可曾想过把他们拖过来,让我饱餐一顿?”范梦唯从眼缝里白了他一眼:“你是堂堂的神座四王爷,更是血魔始祖,还缺求着让你吸血的人?”轩辕启天瞬身移到范梦唯身后,环抱着她,一脸委屈:“还不是你不让吸血!本王的一颗獠牙都给你拔了!”
  • 穿越之剑道女捕

    穿越之剑道女捕

    我在咖啡店中看着人来人往的人群突然觉得心似乎越来越冷漠了或许是经历太多或许是累了总会觉得人性似乎充满了冷漠此时的我也不会想到我会开启一段奇妙的旅程,更让我经历了一段刻骨铭星的爱恋。
  • 你是我渡不过的河

    你是我渡不过的河

    (此书为耽美爱情,不喜误入哦)爱情就像一条永不止息的长河,不停地流动着,你永远不知道这条河流里会有什么。而我们就像是在相对岸彼此擦乾匆匆走过的陌生人。当两个人看互相对眼的时候,他们便会奋不顾身的纵身跳入河流中,克服湍急的水流和重重困难走到一起,然后挽手坐上一条叫做“幸福”的小船,慢慢驶向远方。而那些不能穿越水流克服困难的,他们就会被这条急湍的河水冲散,从而迷失方向,找不到自己,最后被这条河流所淹没。而对于你,你就是我那一条永远也渡不过的河。
  • 极品回收系统之叫嚣的废品

    极品回收系统之叫嚣的废品

    故事前提一个孤独的博士,一生奉献给科学直至死创造了一款超级系统成就了一名乞丐正文,你有美女,老子随处可见,你是锻造师,可以打造神器,,老子物品熔炼随机抽取介是神器,你家钱多,老子坐化良田,种物得物,
  • 奥赛罗·李尔王

    奥赛罗·李尔王

    本书是莎士比亚著名的四大悲剧之一,是英国的一个古老传说,故事本身大约发生在8世纪左右。后在英国编成了许多戏剧,现存的戏剧除莎士比亚外,还有一个更早的无名氏作品,一般认为莎士比亚的李尔王是改编此剧而创作的。故事讲述了年事已高的国王李尔王退位后,被大女儿和二女儿赶到荒郊野外,成为法兰西皇后的三女儿率军救父,却被杀死,李尔王伤心地死在她身旁。
  • 超级近身狂少

    超级近身狂少

    秦家灭亡前夕主脉唯一后裔秦弘被父亲送入深山里一名老者手中,老者将一身的武功与多年的情场经验传授与秦弘。得知家族遭遇不测后复入都市的少年却桃运不断,美丽大姐姐、美女老师、校花、护士……他将如何一并收入囊中?又将如何复仇?
  • 爆笑萌妃:王爷逗妻无下限

    爆笑萌妃:王爷逗妻无下限

    “王妃,本王交代的三从四德学得怎么样了”某妖孽看着毫无坐相吃相的某女挑眉道,某女翘着二狼腿,往嘴里扒了一口饭,含糊不清说道“回王爷,我学会了”“哦?”某妖孽继续挑眉,嘴里勾起一抹邪笑“念来听听。”“三从:从不温柔,从不体贴,从不讲理。四得:说不得,打不得,骂不得,惹不得。”妖孽嘴角抽了抽,“王妃,你这是要造反?”史上最倒霉,徐慕慕,作死地熬夜看穿越文,一觉醒来自己竟然穿越了?!可是穿到哪里不好,竟然穿到鸟不拉屎的丛林里,还看到了美男沐浴?!看到了就算了,想她一大好青年,还是很乐观的,关键是她还摸了他?!美男很生气,后果很严重……